Nevada County picayune., 1887-05-18

kept up so far, and if you give way there's not q man of us but will blubber to. Don't set us a bad ex- ample now"
 With brave effort Lilla con- trolled herself. But she could not put the sorrow of her bird out of her heart. She kept thinking to herself.
 "Now, l can never do my duty and send the billet" Strange that at such time she could bear anything in her mind but her own suffering! But so it was, and it added q keener pang to the loss of her pet.
 But marvellous to relate, when the monday sun was glaring down upon the famished group, a white speck appeared in the sky, and coming nearer, soon attracted attention. Then, in a few seconds. 1t came fiuttering down with coo of content and alighted upon Lil. la's shoulder.
 It seemed to their wondering eyes like a spirit.
 "It is q good Omen." was whis pered among them. God has not forgotten us"
 And inspired by this thought the sOilors again turned their dim eyes across the broad expanse of wa ters to see if any sign of life should appear in sight.
 Several hours went by and then dim spot appeared in the dis tance. It grew more distinct. and and at last proved to be a brig bearing down towards them.
 Oh, that the man on the lookout should see the signal raised by the distressed crew! The suspense was sickening, but at last to cer- tainty they were observed, for the brig hove and lowered her boats, which, manned by a competent crew, were soon propelled towards them. They were reached after time, and taken on board.
 Now comes the wonderful part our story.
 The man at the wheel was steer. ing m an entirely opposite direc. ton from the one which would have brought his vessel to the re- lief of the shipwrecked crew, when white bird flew against his face, and tiuttered its wings in such way that the aStOnished sailor did not dare open his eyes while the assault continued. The captain witnessed the singular occurrence, and being, like all seafaring men, superstitious, he said:
 "It strikes me that there is a meaning in this. We must change our course"
 Owing to this, the course of the brig was changed, and by means of It many lives were saved, as we have seen.
 After this Lilla's pet pigeon was, as is natural, considered most wonderful bird, and was made the theme of talks for days after .he rescue; while Lila herself lay prostrated upon a bed of sickness. The reaction from despair to hope had done what her distress had not been able to do, and it was long before she was well enough to come upon deck.
 When she did, she was but a shadow of herself; but youth ral- lies quickly, and she soon was as merry and blooming as before.
 The captain was quite an old man, and his heart warmed towards Lilla in a fatherly manner.
 "I have son at home," he said to her one day, "who would give his eyes for a pigeon like that" pointing to Lilla's pet, which was, as usual, perched upon her shoul- der.
 "He's that fond of studying into the ways of dumb creatures that he's good for nothing else. Not but he's made a good thing of it, for he Is now professor of some de. partment in d college which deals in just such things. He corres- ponds with men all over the world, and Pm proud of him, if do say it who shouldn't. He is greatly taken with this kind of carrier pigeon. and quite while ago he let an educated East-Indian take home one of his pet birds, with the